My Disillusionment in Russia · Chapter
XXXI: Exploiting the Famine explained
The chapter details the Soviet government's cynical manipulation of the 1921 famine relief efforts, favoring conservative Cadets over left-wing revolutionaries for propaganda purposes, then suppressing the Citizens' Committee once its usefu
What happens
The chapter details the Soviet government's cynical manipulation of the 1921 famine relief efforts, favoring conservative Cadets over left-wing revolutionaries for propaganda purposes, then suppressing the Citizens' Committee once its usefulness ended. It contrasts the regime's self-serving actions with the selfless dedication of ordinary relief workers who perished in the stricken areas.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs as the narrator confronts the full, brutal reality of Russia’s col…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Betrayal of Revolutionary Ideals
The Bolsheviks rejected genuine revolutionaries in favor of reactionaries for propaganda, then arrested the same conservatives after they served their purpose.
- State Power vs. Individual Freedom
The Cheka's arrest and exile of the Citizens' Committee members illustrates the regime's suppression of independent relief initiatives.
- Suffering of the People
The famine caused widespread death, and relief workers themselves perished from typhus, exposure, and violence.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
Provides a critical account of the famine relief politics and the fate of the Citizens' Committee.
- Kalinin
Described as the 'marionette President' who made a propaganda tour through the famine region.
- Madame Breshkovsky
Not directly mentioned, but Vera Nikolayevna Figner is highlighted as a venerable revolutionist who joined the Citizens' Committee and defied the Cheka.
Key passages
“The Soviet press kept the report of the agricultural conference from the public. But in July items began to appear in the Pravda and the Izvestia telling of the terrible drought in the Volga region and the fearful conditions in the famine-stricken districts.”
The government initially suppressed the agricultural conference's findings, but by July 1921, newspapers started reporting the severe drought and famine in the Volga area.
Highlights the regime's control of information and delayed acknowledgment of the crisis.
“When the Citizens’ Committee had served that purpose it was kicked overboard in true Bolshevik fashion.”
Once the Committee had fulfilled its propaganda role, the Bolsheviks discarded it without hesitation.
Illustrates the cynical exploitation of relief efforts for political gain.
